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One of General Hospital's most beloved characters has, instead of being voted into office, been voted off the island. Genie Francis has been dropped to recurring status.
It's a decision that will not sit well with General Hospital fans: Emmy winner and daytime icon Genie Francis (Laura Collins) is out at General Hospital.

Show sources tell soapcentral.com that Francis was informed in late 2017 that she would be dropped to recurring status in 2018 -- and that executive producer Frank Valentini wanted Francis to appear in only about a dozen or so episodes. Francis was said to be devastated by the decision and reportedly refused to agree to appear so infrequently.

If Francis was blindsided by the decision, the show's writers were surprised, as well. The writing team had planned a long-term storyline with Laura running for mayor of Port Charles. That storyline had to be abruptly altered when the decision was made to drop Francis from contract status.

There are several rumors making the Internet rounds about exactly why the show felt that Francis needed to be demoted, but soapcentral.com has not yet been able to independently confirm any of those rumors.

Francis has played the role of Laura off and on since 1977. Most soap fans know that Luke and Laura's 1981 wedding was the most-watched episode in soap opera history. A whopping 30 million people tuned in to see the "I do's." She eventually exited the show in 1982 before returning full-time in 1993. In 2002, Francis exited the show after contract negotiations went sour. Francis returned to the show several times over the next decade, returning in 2013 to help celebrate General Hospital's 50th anniversary. In 2015, Francis returned as part of Anthony Geary's exit storyline, but Francis ended up sticking around and signed a long-term contract with the ABC soap.

In addition to her well-known role on General Hospital, Francis has also appeared on All My Children, Days of our Lives, Loving, and The Young and the Restless. It will come as no surprise that DAYS and Y&R fans have already taken to social media to urge their shows to snatch up Francis. Likewise, GH viewers have posted petitions on various social media sites asking for Francis to be rehired.

It pissing me off too. They give sonny and Jordan another contract and then shaft a legend like Laura shes the one of the only reason the show still around if it wasn't for her and Luke wedding and the ratings they got the show would of probably be canceled. they keep doing this to Genie. Such a shame.

More than 20,000 fans of ABC’s "General Hospital" have signed a petition to reinstate Genie Francis as a series regular after the veteran soap star was dropped to recurring status.

The Soap Hub petition explains how GH laid the groundwork for Francis’ departure by having her character, Laura, “rip down her campaign posters in her quest to become Port Charles’ next mayor” and then heading to Europe to “tend to grandson, Spencer, who had broken both legs.”

Last week, EW confirmed that GH had declined to extend her contract for another year but left open the possibility of having her return.

Francis will only make her way back to Port Charles if the story and timing were ideal, her agent Arthur Toretzky tells EW. “She did not want to leave the show as a series regular,” Toretzky adds. “It was not her choice to leave.”

Genie wanted to talk to Frank Valentinti he wouldn't even talk to her...without Laura there would have been no luke and Gh would have been cancelled 40 years ago..this is a disgrace...I have gathered all theses link ad put together in one post

This is so wrong. Genie helped saved GH from cancellation back in 1976. And they just "throw" her away. No shocker that the men get paid way more than the women on this show either. It's clear that women are merely tolerated on this male driven show.

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